An artificial reef created in the Gulf of Mexico four years ago appears to be teeming with life. In 2016, two of Alabama Power’s retired boilers were sunk off the coast of Mobile County to improve the marine ecosystem. The giant steel structures previously used to turn steam into power have also proven to be a boon for offshore […]

Three new public recreation sites have been added at Lake Harris, Lay Lake and Lake Martin as part of Alabama Power’s “The Preserves.” These areas consist of trails, gazebos, benches, interpretive signs and pollinator plots. From hiking, and biking to bird-watching, The Preserves are core to the Alabama Power ideal of merging nature with crafting special places.

Traci Wood admitted holding the snake almost made her come unglued. No, she wasn’t afraid of the snake she was holding. It was the magnitude of the moment. Wood, the Habitat and Species Conservation Coordinator with the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division, had in her hands the first wild Eastern indigo snake documented […]

Jeff Carter didn’t have a plan in 2011 when he started Pine Hills and Oak Hollars Child Classic, an organization that takes sick kids on a weekend hunting trip in northwest Alabama. “At that time I really didn’t know what it looked like,” Carter said. “The Lord put it on my heart and he called me […]

Tournament bass anglers who are ready to step up in competition need to mark their calendars for June 1, 2020, and set the alarm clock to 6 a.m. That date and time is when registration opens for the newest bass trail in Alabama aimed at serious tournament anglers. The creation of the Alabama Bass Trail […]

Alabama’s fishermen will be able to resume fishing on state-owned lakes beginning February 1, 2020, the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries division announced on Friday. The state of Alabama owns 23 lakes that it stocks with fish like bream, largemouth bass, channel catfish and crappie. For nominal fees, any interested angler can cast a line and […]

BIRMINGHAM — Grayson Morris and Tucker Smith, who have won back to back B.A.S.S. high school national championships, will be the first high school duo allowed to fish at the Bassmaster Classic. The announcement was made in front of a raucous crowd in Briarwood Christian School’s (BCS) auditorium on Thursday morning. Smith recently graduated from […]

Pine Hills and Oak Hollars Child Classic is an organization that takes sick kids on a weekend hunting trip in northwest Alabama.

Appearing like a miniature version of a mockingbird, the loggerhead shrike looks like any other songbird until you find evidence of the shrike’s lethal side. “Some people call them butcher birds or French mockingbirds,” said Eric Soehren, biologist and manager of the Alabama State Lands’ Wehle Land Conservation Center in southeast Alabama. “They may look […]

Work has started on a new public-use weigh-in pavilion at Smith Lake, which is part of a partnership between B.A.S.S. and Alabama Power. Union Sportsmen’s Alliance volunteers recently broke ground on the project at Lewis Smith Lake Dam Boat Ramp in Walker County. The pavilion will feature holding tanks for fish, which reduce stress and increase survival rates. The […]

Depending on where they pursue white-tailed deer, hunters in Alabama may be experiencing a wide range of deer breeding activity from pre-rut, and peak rut to post-rut. Studies by wildlife professionals indicate that rutting activity is most closely associated with the heritage of the deer in a particular area. The diversity of breeding activity, known […]

During this season of giving, one group of young adults donated their time, energy and work ethic to the Alabama State Parks System to help with improvements at Lakepoint State Park north of Eufaula. As part of the AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) program, a team of young adults ages 18-25 made improvements to […]

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) is upping the amount of deer to be checked for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), especially in northwest Alabama, after deer in Mississippi and Tennessee have recently tested positive for the deadly disease. Chuck Sykes, director of the ACNR’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, told the MGM […]

Of all the outdoor experiences my mother, now 86, enjoyed the most, it was watching a cork disappear as a slab crappie grabbed the minnow at the end of the line. As is normal procedure, I check in on her every few days, and she wanted to know what I’d been doing. “Catching crappie,” I […]

Lake Lurleen State Park in Coker officially opened its newest trail on Thursday, named the J.W. “Bill” McFarland Sr. Memorial Trail to honor the late Tuscaloosa businessman, public servant and philanthropist. McFarland’s family donated funds to the Alabama State Parks Foundation for the construction of the half-mile trail, which connects to the 9-mile Tashka Trail, the park’s longest. […]

Imagine elves filling baskets with goodies to load on Santa’s sleigh and you get a snapshot of what it looked like last week when Academy Sports + Outdoors provided Christmas cheer for numerous youngsters who needed that encouragement the most. At Academy stores across Alabama, youngsters were chosen to go on shopping sprees with a […]

Thanksgiving began as a celebration of nature’s bounty. Nature’s bounty includes natural resources. Despite reports to the contrary, Cato Institute research demonstrates that we still have plenty of natural resources. Human ingenuity and nature’s generosity explain why. That we must run out of oil, natural gas, and other resources seems obvious. Since we cannot manufacture […]

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recently received special recognition by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation with the presentation of the State Agency of the Year Award at the 16th Annual National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) Sportsman-Legislator Summit in Greensboro, Georgia. “The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is honored to recognize the Alabama Department […]

The Alabama Black Belt’s treasure is found in its abundant wildlife and fisheries with the multi-species hunting and angling opportunities...

Hunting and fishing in Alabama during 2018 had a $3.2 billion economic impact on the state, according to a new report. The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association (ABBAA) shared that number and others during a news conference Wednesday in Montgomery. Pam Swanner, director of ABBAA, said the report underscores the economic importance hunting and fishing has on […]

Now that the weather has finally cooled, the outdoors takes on a whole new appeal for many in Alabama. Hunting and camping are likely on the agenda, and being able to feed a delicious meal to a group of hunters or campers can often hinge on your upbringing. If you’re like J. Wayne Fears, who […]

Alabama Whitetail Records announced that it has launched a website and phone app allowing hunters to view where each submitted deer ranks across...

Renew Our Rivers volunteers removed more than 316,000 pounds of trash and debris from Alabama lakes and rivers in 2019. More than 4,500 volunteers participated in a cleanup this year, which was Renew Our Rivers’ 20th anniversary. The 2019 campaign went out with a bang and ended with some of the largest cleanups of the year. One […]

A marine scientist at Alabama’s Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) has figured out how to help oysters grow heavier and stronger shells, a discovery he says will help oysters rebuild their habitats across the Gulf Coast. Dr. Lee Smee is a senior marine scientist and chair of University Programs at DISL. His team has discovered an oyster builds […]